Baby Name Meanings
Names That Mean Green
Across 7 pages
of 7
Calhoun
Irish
"from the narrow forest"
A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery.…
Elwood
English
"elder tree forest"
The "el-" sound is red-hot these days, and a myriad of place names and surnames give this name a wealth of possible namesakes. The main drawback is its kinship to the name of the hero of the Legally…
Elm
English, German, Norse, Danish tree name
"red, brown"
Strong, straight, and leafy, one of the new tree names used mostly as middles.
Bryony
Greek
"to sprout, to swell"
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…
Irati
Basque
"fern field"
For the parent who genuinely wants something different, this nature choice is popular in Spain. Downside: connection to words irate and irritation.
India
Place name, from the River Indus
Euphonious and long stylish in England, India was one of the fastest-rising names on the 2013 list, after jumping 240 spots back into the Top 1000. Gorgeous as it may be, the usage of India as a name…
Bradshaw
English
"broad forest"
Currently connected to football Hall of Famer turned actor Terry Bradshaw.
Alder
English tree name or surname
"old"
The surname-style Alden has been on the rise in the US in recent years, while tree-inspired Rowan is a top choice. Combine this with the popularity of names ending in -er such as Carter and Parker…
Daina
Japanese; Lithuanian and Latvian
"my greens; song"
A name with an international and adaptable sound, similar to Diana and Dana, this name was used very commonly in Latvia in the 20th century. Pronounced as DYE-nuh, it has the cheerful meaning of…
Irving
Scottish
"green river, sea friend"
It might be surprising to know that this name originated as a Scottish place and surname name, as in Washington Irving. It became a popular choice for first-generation Jewish-American boys, such as…
Grover
English
"one who lives near a grove of trees"
Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in…
Grove
Nature name
"grove of trees"
If you find Grover too fusty and furry, this is a much cooler-sounding alternative.
Cypress
Botanical name
Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Maple, and Willow. Nearly 200 babies were named Cypress in the US last year, about 40 percent of them female.
Kale
Modern invented name
Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.
Beryl
Greek
"sea-green jewel"
Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.
Greenlee
English
"green clearing"
Attractive English surname that sounds right at home with the other androgynous surname names that are currently on-trend. Greenlee Smythe is a character on the soap opera All My Children
Glen
Scottish
"a narrow valley"
Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.
Cyan
English
"greenish blue color"
Cyan is a highly unusual blue-green color name, a classmate of Celadon and Cerulean. It does come with the homey nickname Cy.
Giada
Italian
"jade"
Popular in its native Italy, Giada has been quietly and stylishly used in English-speaking countries for several years now. Television cook Giada De Laurentiis made this a possibility — then…
Geneva
Swiss place-name or French
"juniper tree"
Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name. Geneva was a relatively popular American name at one time: it…